THE LIST SHOW

Every country has their obscure fact. / kolderal / Getty

1 Fact About Every Country in the United Nations: Part 1

In this episode of The List Show, we cover one fact about EVERY country in the United Nations—with Part 1 going up to the letter G.

Famed nepo baby Charlie Chaplin and his father. / brandstaetter images / Getty / Loeba / Wikimedia Commons

18 Nepo Babies from History

A nepo baby, or nepotism baby, is a famous or notable figure descended from another famous person or affluent family of some kind. In this episode of List Show, host Erin McCarthy lists 18 nepo babies from history, from Charlie Chaplin to Pericles.

What a strange world we live in. / Francesco Carta fotografo / Getty

19 Surprising Geography Facts That Will Change Your Perspective

Did you know that Australia is wider than the Moon? We've collected our favorite facts that will absolutely warp your sense of geography.

Sailors in the early days of exploration may have believed that manatees were mermaids.

The Origins of 13 Mythical Creatures

Unicorns, mermaids, vampires, and leprechauns are some of the most widely known mythical creatures, but where did these legendary beings come from?

Cloudy with a chance of golf balls. / Fotovikus / Shutterstock

8 Weird Disasters from History

From beer floods to meat showers, history is full of peculiar—and putrid—disasters.

9 Funerals Gone Wrong

An exploding corpse, a 45-minute car chase, and a horse-related mishap that led to a century-long royal tradition. In this episode of The List Show, host Justin Dodd covers funerals gone wrong.

How many of these colors did you know about?

39 Colors You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

A vast vocabulary of words have been invented, borrowed, and accumulated over the centuries to describe almost every color and shade imaginable.

The great white is one of more than 500 shark species.

31 Fascinating Facts About Sharks

Whether you’re a ‘Jaws’ fanatic or just want to live every week like it’s Shark Week, you'll want to read up on these fascinating facts about sharks.

Movies have created some pretty pervasive myths and misconceptions.

13 Lies Movies Taught Us

In this episode of The List Show, Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy traces some of the most common myths we've gotten from movies.

The United States is host to a number of wild and weird urban legends.

The Spookiest Urban Legend in All 50 States

From classics like the vanishing hitchhiker to creepy cryptids, ghostly vehicles, deadly curses, and some stuff you’ve probably seen on Facebook.

41 Fascinating Phobias, Explained

From acrophobia (the fear of heights) to zuigerphobia (the fear of vacuum cleaners), there are plenty of things to be scared of—rationally or otherwise.

16 Old-Timey Insults For Modern Conversations

In this episode of The List Show, episode, we're breaking out some favorite old-timey insults that people should definitely start using again.

You'll never look at time the same way again.

17 Facts That Will Warp Your Sense of Time

From prehistoric animals that lived much closer to us temporally than you might realize to the guillotine lasting way beyond the French Revolution, these facts are to mess with your perception of time.

Fact #1: This is definitely not the world's largest ball of hair. / Getty / 4FR

100 Weird, Miscellaneous Facts

In the latest episode of The List Show, host and Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy shares 100 weird facts. Learn about solo synchronized swimming, Dildo Days, and Pope Francis’ past gigs. We know you’re curious.

7 of History’s Strangest Mass Hysteria Events

Whether an entire town can’t stop dancing or people suddenly start worrying about minor marks on their windshields, these seemingly unbelievable events have had some surprising (and sometimes devastating) effects.

10 Explorers Who Vanished Without a Trace

From a record-breaking mountain climber to a British adventurer who may have died searching for a city that doesn’t exist and beyond, these explorers have fates that are shrouded in mystery.

100 Facts About Gen X

If you've ever been called a "latchkey kid," this list of facts about Gen X is for you.

7 Dangerous and Deadly Toys From History

The toys on this list include "what were they thinking?" oddities—like a children's laboratory kit that included uranium—but also some seemingly innocuous recreational offerings.

7 Alleged Pyramid Schemes and Scams

These companies that were accused (and sometimes convicted of) engaging in alleged pyramid schemes and other scams.

These facts will have you making this face.

15 Facts You’ll Wish You Had Never Learned

We can’t promise you’ll ever feel the same way about pasta, pools, or your own face.

A small sampling of our 50+ regional dish selections

One Beloved Dish From Each U.S. State

You probably know about Chicago's deep dish pizza and New York City's famous bagels, but what's the signature regional dish in Alabama? Or Idaho?

DEET might not exist without military research.

9 Inventions That Came From the Military

From bug spray to Epipens, you might be surprised to learn just how many items taking up shelf space in your home were originally developed for the front lines.

11 Facts About the Animals of Chernobyl

Researchers thought the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was unable to support life. But a bunch of wolves, deer, wild boars, bears, and foxes disagreed.

Know how to respond the next time someone tells you the bogus origins of the phrase 'bring home the bacon.'

12 Widely Repeated Phrase Origins, Debunked

The stories behind these phrase origins are amazing. Too bad they’re not true—and too bad they’re often repeated as fact. Here’s the real scoop behind the expressions.